My Flute Sonata (for flute and piano) was completed at the end of 2021 and premiered soon after, at the beginning of the following year, by Tamara Thweatt (flute) and Clare Longendyke (piano) in Indianapolis (USA). The beginning of the work was sketched nearly a decade earlier but languished as other projects took precedence. Tamara’s enthusiasm for the piece and her wish to premiere it reignited my work on the sonata, ultimately leading to its completion. Since my youthful student days, I’ve had an ongoing interest in producing sonatas and large-form works for an instrument with piano accompaniment. There’s a line that connects my Sonata for Violin and Piano from those student days to this work. Writing this sonata felt like a friendly return to a familiar environment where I felt at home.

The Flute Sonata is in three relatively evenly proportioned movements. The opening movement unfolds with a kaleidoscopic outpouring that can be described as free-wheeling and improvisatory, embarking on an adventurous journey through varied musical terrain. The middle movement is highly sensual, delicate, and consistently restrained, forming an intimate atmosphere that invites the listener to lean in and engage ever more closely. The final movement is a fireworks display of energy and virtuosic brilliance, exploring the dynamic capacities of the instrumental duo.

A clear intention in composing this work was to create a vehicle for performers to explore interpretive possibilities—whether through shaping lines, phrases, and colors, or adding sparkle and pizzazz. I aimed to provide an opportunity for performers to showcase their creative and interpretive brilliance.